During the first week of December, windstorms devastated communities in the Los Angeles area. Several of our ReLeaf Network members work in these areas, so we were able to get first hand accounts of the wreckage. In total, the windstorms caused more than $40 million in damage. For more information on the cost of the storm, see this article from the L.A. Times.
Emina Darakjy from Pasadena Beautiful said, “I have lived in Pasadena for 35 years and have never seen such devastation. It is so sad to see so many trees down.” More than 1,200 trees were downed in Pasadena alone. Winds were over 100 miles per hour in some parts of the town.
“People are so upset and sad to see what has happened. It is like losing so many close friends or family members,” said Darakjy who took the pictures in this article in the days after the storm.